


Love Lockdown

by andy2693



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adults, Cheating, Chicago (City), Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Heartbreak, Love, Manipulation, Modern AU, New York City, Physical Abuse, Quarantine, Sarcasm, University, lockdown - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 02:55:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30132927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andy2693/pseuds/andy2693
Summary: Zuko and Katara having to quarantine together feels like a cosmic joke. Zuko had hurt Katra more than anyone else had ever hurt her. When he finally leaves his abusive family he finds out he was more like them than he thought. Now, he has an endless amount of time to try and repair the damage he inflicted on the sweet girl who dared to have a crush on him. Will they survive quarantining together during the COVID 19 pandemic?
Relationships: Aang/Toph Beifong, Jet/Katara (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 47





	Love Lockdown

**December 6, 2019**

“Congratulations!” Katara wiped her tears as her family and friends showered her with hugs, kisses, and flowers. After four long years, summers interning everywhere and anywhere that would take her, she was a nurse. While she was excited to be done with school, at least for now, she would miss her home away from home at Northwestern University. Thankfully, her brother had recently moved to Chicago for his new job, which meant that Katara wouldn’t be alone in the city. And through him and some drunken nights in Lincoln Park, Katara had made several friends in the city. Having them close made her feel less homesick for her family’s estate back in Alaska. 

Katara stood in her wildcat purple commencement gown, hair half up in effortless waves, her makeup kept natural, white shift dress, and tan wedges. She brushed her hair out of her face and took one last look at her beloved school one last time. The ivy that covered the sides of the buildings, the purple, white, and pink tulips that brightened up the fronts of older and newer buildings, the dorms where freshmen students were currently moving out, the lake just beyond where they stood. She took one last deep breath and let it out slowly. 

Today was a happy day. A day meant for celebration, so she tried hard to fight back her tears as she hugged her nursing friends, many of whom were returning to their home states, and said her final goodbyes to her professors. She posed for picture after picture with her family and friends. Each picture meant a new arrangement. 

Some with just her and her gran gran, some with only her mother or her father, some with both, some with only her brother, and many with all of them. Several shots of her with fellow graduates and professors she had grown close to. And finally some with just her close friends. Kai, who was as much a brother as Sokka, Toph, wobbled in her heels, Suki and Aang, who radiated excitement, and her loving boyfriend Jet, who could not stop gushing about how proud he was of her. 

By the end of the morning, her cheeks were incredibly sore, but she couldn’t stop herself from laughing at the old family’s stories being shared with her friends. Her father had invited all of her friends to dinner with them. He had reserved a table large enough for everyone at Kinzie Steakhouse in downtown. Katara walked in with her mother, arms looped together as they followed the hostess to their seats. Her mother was fretting over her dress and hair. 

“You should cut it, sweetheart. Once you’re working in the hospital, you won’t want to deal with all of this.” Kya ran her friends through her daughter’s wild waves before placing a kiss on the top of her head. Katara sat quietly, allowing her mother to fuss over her hair. 

“I’ll think about it, mom.” Katara leaned back into her mother’s hands and sighed happily. She glanced down at the large tan hand on her thigh and placed her own on top of it. 

Once her mother ceased playing with her hair, she turned her attention to the handsome man beside her. He tucked some hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek. “You look stunning today,” He whispered to her, causing a deep red blush to stain her cheeks. 

Instead of replying, she laced her fingers through his and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. She heard his relaxed sigh and leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

From their side of the table, Sokka and her father both made a face. They had shared their distaste of her boyfriend and made it abundantly clear how they felt whenever he was around. Katara held her tongue because fighting with either one of them was a waste of time. Her mother and grandmother were kind enough to make conversation with him when they visited and even now during her celebration lunch. 

“Jet, honey, will you be coming up to Alaska for the holidays this year? We would love to host you.” Her mother smiled warmly at the young man, who returned with a charming one of his own. “You know Toph, Aang, Suki, and Kai will all be joining us this year. We have plenty of room too.”

“I’ll have to check with my roommates. You know they’re like family to me too, and I don’t want to leave if they don’t have any plans of their own.” He answered, and Katara felt him grip her thigh. “I am coming for New Years’, though. Katara has told me about the fireworks show your family puts on every year.” 

Katara beamed at the idea. She knew his roommates were orphans like him. They had all grown up in the system, jumping from foster home to foster home until finding each other again. Now they all lived together, took care of another. It was one of the many reasons she loved him. It was also one of the reasons her father or brother could not bring themselves to trust him. 

“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. We could finally spend a New Years’ together.” Katara said to him and was giggled as he pecked her lips in a light kiss. 

“Alright, that’s enough, you two. I can’t see you, but I can feel just how disgusting you both are being.” Toph commented, causing the young couple to blush and separate. 

**__________________________________________________________________________________**

**December 16, 2019**

Zuko finished packing up his apartment and sat on the small couch he was leaving behind. It was a relief to see everything cleared away, either packed up for the move to Chicago, packed for his trip to Alaska, or sold off to strangers. 

As he laid down, he thought about his latest decision. It wasn’t an easy choice to pick up and walk away from his father’s overbearing, abusive personality. Leaving was the only choice he had left. His choice was made even easier by his best friend, calling to share that he was thinking about subletting his apartment while helping his girlfriend settle in her new space. Sokka’s loft in River North ended up being the perfect place to crash until he could get the funds together to get a place for himself. 

The fight he had with his father was the last straw. His grades were perfect, his professors raved about his intelligence, and he was offered internships to every notable firm in New York. Yet still, his dream of working with the district attorney’s office wasn’t enough. He wanted to put away criminals, not help them get off. His father reveled in helping criminal, rich men time and time again.

Zuko knew his father had hoped his desire to help others as a district attorney would just be a phase. That he by now, in his last year of law school, he would have come to his senses. But Zuko proved him wrong yet again. Thankfully, the divorce had left his mother very well off, and her own family money had continued to sustain her until her death the year prior. 

Now, Zuko lived off of what his mother had left her. His father had cut him off financially when he shared that he still wanted to be a district attorney. Which meant it was no longer an option for him. He had no scholarships or financial aid to assist him, and the school’s tuition was just too expensive for him to handle on his own. His father’s influence on the professors also worried Zuko, which led to the transfer in schools. The University of Chicago had given him a hefty scholarship, and Sokka had helped him fill out his FAFSA for the additional financial aid.

His ceiling had bronze, antique tiles that screamed bratty, trust fund kid. The condo had been his father’s bachelor pad before becoming his place while attending school. Everything about leaving felt right. The condo never felt like his, Harvard always felt forced upon him, and most of his friends were scattered in the midwest or the west coast. This change was necessary, and knowing that he had his uncle’s blessing was more than enough for him. 

Zuko packed the last of things into his car, eager to start the long drive to Chicago, where his best friend would be waiting for him with open arms. He had left the keys to the condo behind, emailed the landlord instead of his father of the move, and was now driving down I-90 towards freedom. 

**___________________________________________________________________________________**

**December 18, 2019**

“Are you sure you can’t come for Christmas? You know Bee and Long Shot are invited and will be welcomed with open arms.” Katara stood on her tiptoes; arms wrapped securely around Jet’s neck as she begged him one last time to join her. This was her last-ditch effort. They stood just outside of the security line at O’Hare Airport. She kissed his neck, nibbled on his earlobe like he enjoyed, pressed herself entirely against him, and gave him her biggest puppy dog-eyed stare. 

“Kat, you know I want to, but Bee and Long Shot want to celebrate with Duke and Pip since they’re in town. I have my ticket for New Years,’ and I’ll be in Alaska before you know it.” He promised and kissed her lips. A slow, tender kiss that left Katara wishing she could just stay behind with him. “It’s not even two weeks, baby. I’ll be there soon. And I have to get the apartment ready for you anyway.” He told her and squeezed her tighter as he moved his lips to her ear to whisper, “And maybe you can wear that impressive little number from last night for me?” 

Katara squirmed in his grasp and nodded vigorously to his request. “Already packed.” She whispered back to him and felt his lips descend upon her neck. She giggled as he playfully tickled her sides and before gently nudging her off of him. 

She couldn’t wait to finally move in with him and live together without being interrupted by Logan, Long Shot, or Bee. All she wanted to do when she got back was curl into their bed and take full advantage of their privacy.

“Alright, you have to go. Your dad already hates me; you can’t miss your plane and make him hate me more.” Jet teased, but Katara was back in his arms for one last kiss before taking her small carry-on and heading to the security checkpoint. She turned to see that he was still waiting for her to disappear into the gates before leaving. The thought warmed her heart. With one last glance, she waved goodbye to him and slipped through security and into the gates. 

Zuko grumbled his complaints as he made his way through the terminals on his way to the gate. He ran his hands through his hair, annoyed that his best friend had booked them on two different flights. Only Sokka would mess up such an easy task. After stopping at a Starbucks and a Hudson Bookstore, he finally made it to the gate. The plane was already boarding when he arrived. Since he was in first class, he didn’t mind waiting to board last. He stood to the side with his carry-on beside him, book, wallet, and boarding pass in his hand, and backpack hanging loosely off one of his broad shoulders. 

“Last call for flight AS 134 to Anchorage from Chicago. Last call for flight AS 134 to Anchorage from Chicago.” Zuko casually strolled over to the desk and handed over his boarding pass. He nodded in acknowledgment before putting in his AirPods and walking past her lingering gaze into the plane. 

He noted his seat number and made his way past the flight attendants, straight to his seat. He lifted his carry-on into the overhead compartment before slipping into his seat and stuffing his backpack under the seat in front of him. He never really took note of his surroundings until he heard a soft apology coming from beside him. Zuko looked up from his task and blinked twice before taking out one of his headphones. 

“Katara?” He asked and watched as recognition flashed in her bright blue eyes. 

“Zuko?” He watched her face twist into a scowl before she asked him to let her pass. He stood moving out of her way and watched as she tried to get into her backpack. 

“What do you need?” He reached over her opening the bag, and listened as she asked for her laptop and notebook. He grabbed both and handed them off to her before closing her bag. 

They both shuffled into their seats again, and Zuko waited for her to acknowledge him further, but the girl beside him said nothing. She never turned to face him or say anything more than her mumbled thanks. 

_Fine, if she doesn’t want to speak to me, I don’t care._ He thought and started to flip through his apple music playlists until he found one that would last until they landed in Seattle for their connecting flight. _She still can’t be mad about that...?_

He thought back to the last time she had ever smiled at him. It was six years ago, and she hadn’t spoken to him since. He had been drunk that night and was pretty hungover the following morning, so his memory of that encounter was lacking. Instead of trusting his fuzzy memories, he shot off a text to her brother and Kai in the hopes that one of them could help make the nine-hour trip more bearable. 

**[Zuko: I’m sitting next to your sister, and she’s pissed. She can’t still be mad about what happened six years ago, right?]**

**[Sokka: Bro, you told her to get over it]**

**[Kai: You told her she was, and I quote, “overreacting”]**

**[Zuko: Shit… ]**

**[Kai: All to get back with Mai 😂 ]**

**[Sokka: And then that only lasted a year.]**

How could he forget? How could he have pushed that awful morning so far out of his mind to forge?. Zuko stared at his phone before sneaking a glance at the girl beside him. 

She had grown so much from the skinny, seventeen-year-old with a crush on him. She sat with her back straight, shoulders back, and chin raised. She typed on her laptop with a determination he had only ever seen in himself. Her ponytail bounced as she bobbed her head along to whatever was filtering through her rose gold wireless Beats headphones. Her skin was still flawless, but instead of youthful baby fat covering her face, her cheekbones were more defined, a small button nose, and from what he had seen when she stood, curves that filled out her fitted long sleeve shirt and leggings. If she had been any other girl, he would’ve started hitting on her. 

**[Sokka: Why don’t you use the next nine hours trying to fix things? You’re going to be stuck with her for two weeks at the house. ]**

**[Zuko: And you, your parents, Kai, and Suki. I’ll have enough buffers]**

**[Kai: She’s giving you the cold shoulder, isn’t she?]**

**[Zuko: … ]**

**[Kai: Good luck bro 😂 ]**

**_________________________________________________________________________________**

The first plane ride had been quiet enough. They both seemed to come to an understanding. She didn’t want to speak t,o him, and he wouldn’t attempt conversation. She worked on filling out her paperwork for her new job as a med surge nurse at Northwestern. After she finished her paperwork, she ordered her scrubs, emailed Toph and Aang when she would be back before turning on Netflix. She had settled into her seat buried under a blanket that a flight attendant had given her. 

When they landed in Anchorage, she would be getting herself a cab and calling her brother to ask why Satan’s spawn was on **both** her flights. She couldn’t believe that of all the people to be stuck next to on a plane, it had to be him. 

Katara hated Zuko. She had hated him since she was seventeen when he stole her first kiss and makeout all to make his girlfriend jealous. He knew how she felt about him, but he still toyed with her feelings and emotions that entire night. He made her feel special, told her how pretty she looked, how he couldn’t wait for her to join him and Sokka at NYU the following year, and that all he wanted to do was kiss her.

So when she returned the following day to see Mai curled up in his bed, naked, she lost it. In hindsight, yes, she had overreacted a tad, but what he did was cruel, and she couldn’t bring herself to forgive him. 

Ever since that night, she had actively avoided him. Whenever Sokka would say Zuko was coming home with him, she stayed at her friend Yue’s house. She applied to **only** west coast and midwestern schools. And she only went home to visit her family when he wasn’t there. 

Now she was stuck in the same row as him on the plane. And he still smelled like campfires and sandalwood. His hair was still cut short but was long enough to run her fingers through, and his drunken tribal tattoo was still on display under his short-sleeved t-shirt. She hated that he had gained muscle and height since the last time she saw him. She hated that the sound of her name on his lips sent butterflies into her stomach. But those butterflies burned to a crisp the second she saw his amber gaze land on her. The same gaze she had always fallen prey to. Never again would she let the man beside her hurt her or make her feel as pathetic as she had that morning. 

**_Flashback_ **

_He kissed her. Not once, not twice, but several times. He played with her hair, called her beautiful, and danced with her all evening. She couldn’t believe that the man she had a crush on for the past two years was paying any attention to her. She always figured he only saw her as Sokka’s little sister. But there they were, walking back to the room she was staying in that night. She couldn’t believe that this was happening._

_“Come by my room tomorrow, and we can go to that cafe I was telling you about.” Zuko tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and brushed his thumb along her cheek. His other hand rested on her hip keeping her close to him._

_“I’d like that.” She answered and leaned the hand on her cheek. She could feel eyes on them from behind her but ignored the desire to see who was staring. The most handsome man she ever seen was interested in her. “I should…” She started to open the door to the dorm room she was staying in for the weekend. It was her brother’s girlfriend’s room._

_Before she could sneak into the room, he pulled her back and pressed his lips against hers. She melted into his hold and let her hands rest on his chest. When she felt his tongue swipe at her lower lip, in a plea for her to open her mouth, she twisted the knob to the room. She could feel his smirk as he gently nudged her into the room and shut the door behind him._

_“Zuko-” She was cut off once more by strong arms lifting her and placing her on the bed._

_“We won't do anything more than kiss. I promise. I just can’t get enough of you…” Zuko whispered to her, and she relaxed as he slid into the bed and pressed up against her once more. She sank into his embrace as his hands slid down her back or up her thighs. She couldn’t even remember when he, or she, had hooked her leg onto his hip to get closer to him or how most of their clothes ended up on the floor._

_His hands were everywhere. On her back, her neck, her ass, her thighs, her breasts, her waist. She had never even kissed a boy before now, but she would do anything he asked at that moment. His lips on her neck, collarbone, and breasts drove her mad with need deep inside of her. She heard how wanton she sounded as his hips pressed her small frame into the bed and ground against hers._

_To Katara, his visit felt like it lasted for hours, but he had only stuck around for an hour and a half. “I’ll see you in the morning beautiful.” He whispered. His golden gaze locking on to her once again. She took in the scar on his face and tentatively reached to touch it. He didn’t stop her as she let her fingers dance across it, pulling him down for one more kiss. She felt her skin burn where he touched her waist and sighed happily as he cupped her breasts again._

_“I’ve gotta go. Suki’s going to be back soon.” She pouted and, for the first time, heard his laugh. It sent a flood of warmth through her that settled in her lower stomach. She sat on her knees on the bed as he picked up his shirt and threw it back. “Goodnight, Katara.” One last kiss, and she was left in her underwear alone in the dark dorm room._

_The following day she showered, blow dried her hair, paired a white tennis skirt with a red and white fitted argyle cardigan and her white sneakers. She sprayed just one spritz of Dolce perfume behind each of her ears and on both her wrists before grabbing her small purse and heading down to his suite._

_She was on cloud nine as she floated down the stairs to his floor. She blushed as the guys on his floor whistled when she walked by. When she had gotten to his door, it was slightly ajar. He did tell her to come down for coffee._

_She walked in slowly, taking in the mess left behind from the party the night before. Beer cans laid everywhere, solo cups still filled with dark and light liquor littered the desks and dressers. She stepped over the mess gracefully, heading towards the room he shared with her brother. She was just about to knock when the door creaked open._

_Inside was Zuko, in the same position he had her in just hours ago, with another completely naked girl. She took another look to see that he too was naked. Their clothes scattered on the floor. She started to step away from the door only to trip over a pyramid of empty beer cans that came crashing down behind her. She jumped and turned to see the mess._

_“Katara?”_

_She spun to see Zuko holding a pillow to his lap, watching her. “What the hell are you doing here?”_

_It hurt. It physically hurt. Had he forgotten that he asked her to come down? Had he forgotten that he spent the entire evening with her before?_

_“The cafe... “ She mumbled as she took several steps back from him. She was barely holding in the tears that threatened to fall at a moment's notice._

_“What? What cafe?” He asked and looked more annoyed the longer she stood there gawking at him._

_“Last night you said we could go to a cafe for coffee… You asked me-”_

_A cackling laugh from his room left her frozen in her spot. The naked girl from his bed had come to join him in nothing but his sheets._

_“That's so cute, Zuko. She actually thinks you like her.” Katara looked away from the couple that she had interrupted. “Why don’t we give you his credit card, and you can bring us back some coffee instead.”_

_“Excuse me?” Katara snapped. Her tears were straining to fall as she watched the girl wrap herself around Zuko. “I-” She shut her mouth and shook her head, choosing not to raise her voice and make a scene. Turning on her heel, she raced out of the room forcing the tears not to fall until she was alone._

_Katara was out in the hall when she heard her name again. “Katara!”_

_Zuko was just in shorts chasing her down the hall. “Wait, look. Mai is my girl-”_

_“You have a girlfriend?” She cut him off. “Then why did you spend all night with me? Why did you ask me out? What the hell is wrong with you!” Her voice grew louder and louder with each question._

_“It was a party! We were fighting-”_

_“So you thought, ‘let me make my girlfriend jealous with my best friend's baby sister?’ what the hell Zuko!” She yelled at him. Her tears flowed freely now. “That's so fucked up! You could’ve used any girl! Why me? Was I the only girl willing?”_

_“Don’t act all hurt. You enjoyed yourself last night, and how could you be so naive as to think that making out with you meant something. Guys makeout with multiple girls a night! Damn it Katara you’re overreacting!”_

_“You’re disgusting, and that's trash! Sokka and Kai would never do that!” She spat back at him after she wiped her eyes. She remembered his hands on her bare skin as he disrobed her, his lips on her collarbone, breasts, stomach. It hurt. Everything hurt because to her, last night had meant the world, and he had forgotten because it didn’t matter at all to him._

_“Katara? Zuko? What's goin-'' Sokka and Kai froze seeing Katara in tears, dressed up, and staring down their roommate._

_“Ask your douchebag roommate. I’m calling an Uber to head back to the hotel.” She pushed past Kai and Sokka and ran to the stairs._

_“Kat! Kat!”_

_“Dude, what the hell did you do to my sister?” She heard Sokka ask and heard as Zuko hit the wall._

_“She’s over-” Katara was in the staircase, wiping her eyes as she pushed past girls making their way down the stairs._

_The sweet touches, the kind words, the kisses. They all meant nothing to him and everything to her. She packed her small bag, ignored her brother's phone calls, and Ubered back to the hotel her parents were staying at on the upper east side. returned_

**_End Flashback_ **

Her computer had died during the layover in an attempt to keep herself busy. Now, all she had was her worn _Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince_ book to read and her headphones. But those had started to bother her ears. She snuck a glance beside her and found Zuko buried in his phone. Hesitantly, she took off the headphones and rested them in her lap. She gazed out her window, trying to think about anything other than the man beside her. 

Zuko watched her as she stared out the window. Part of him knew he should try to talk about what happened all those years ago with her. He had only ever seen her in passing since then. Quick glimpses, her shadow, or just heard her voice as she left the house. She never returned to visit, never stayed at the house when he visited with Sokka, and never reached out to him again. Essentially the Katara sitting beside him was a stranger. 

A stranger he had significantly hurt. Deep down, he wanted to believe that he had apologized to her, but he knew he didn’t. He knew that instead he yelled at her, and he called her naive. 

He remembered laying in the small twin-size bed with her. They were a tangle of limbs and tongues. He enjoyed feeling her short, rounded nails lightly scraping against the skin on his arms, back, and chest. He remembered how cautious she was at first and how skilled her tongue had been after just a few minutes. He remembered helping her out of her clothes and flinging them on the ground. He could still hear her sweet sighs and soft moans as he grabbed her ass, dug his hips into hers, or kissed and gently sucked on the skin of her breast. 

But most of all, he remembered the heartbroken look on her face as she stood outside his door, watching him in the same position with another girl. He remembered how incredibly blue her eyes looked as she cried and how she was still able to put on a strong front even though he had hurt her more deeply than anyone else in his life. 

“Katara, I-”

“Save it, Zuko. You’ve had six years to apologize.” 

Zuko felt his stomach clench. She hadn’t turned to face him when she stopped him. She was still that upset with him.

“Look, just please let me-”

“Let you what? Say sorry for using me, for yelling at me, for treating me like I was the one who had done something wrong?” Zuko watched her shoulder shake with silent fury. 

“What you did ruin my senior year of high school and freshman year at Northwestern. I dreamed of going to NYU, but just the thought of being anywhere near you had me in tears. I didn’t trust men I wasn’t related to until I met my friend Aang and then my boyfriend, Jet. I didn’t go to parties; I didn’t go to mixers; I didn’t go to tailgates. I stayed locked in my dorm room where no one could possibly hurt me. I stayed hidden away so that I didn’t make any more naive choices.”

Zuko felt his blood run cold as she explained the ramifications of his actions. “You’ll never know how isolated you made me feel. Did you know that you also caused Sokka and me to not speak for a year? He tried defending you. He tried to get me to see reason.” The short bark of laughter sent a shiver down his spine. 

Finally, she turned to look over her shoulder at him. “Let me make one thing abundantly clear. I hate you Zuko Azulon. You never thought to make things right until today, and only because you’re uncomfortable with having to spend the holidays with me.” Every word felt like a slap in the face. “You are going to my house, which is large enough to keep our distance. This will be our last conversation. Do not speak to me, do not look at me, do not try to fix this again. Break any of those rules, and I’ll tell my parents what you did. That will effectively end your stay with us and any further stays with us. Is that all understood?” 

Zuko merely nodded and watched as she took one last look at him before turning her attention back to the window. As she brushed her hair back, he saw the lone tear that fell from the corner of her eye down her cheek. 

He knew what he had done had hurt her, but to have everything laid out before him made it all seem so much worse. The worst part was seeing that it still affected her. She was still upset by his poor choices that weekend. 

**[Zuko: She hates me Kai]**

**[Kai: Can you blame her? She thought you walked on water Zuko. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how bad things got after that weekend]**

**[Zuko: Did she and Sokka not speak for a year?]**

**[Kai: yeah]**

That piece of information was the most surprising. He got up and walked over to the bathroom, closing himself inside. He just had to survive two weeks and then she would be back in Evanston on campus while he would be in River North with her brother. He took several deep breaths before tapping out the following message. 

**[Zuko: We’ll be landing soon. Are you picking up her or me?]**

**[Kai: You. She already has a cab coming to get her from the airport.]**

Zuko punched one of the small walls in the airplane bathroom before pocketing his phone and heading back to his seat. She wasn’t being dramatic when she said it would be their last conversation.

**___________________________________________________________________________________**

Katara sat in her cab, fuming. _How dare he help her get down her bags! How dare he offer to take her taxi. How dare he try to be nice!_ It was just too little too late. She wasn’t going to let go of her anger. She knew it probably wasn’t healthy, but she couldn’t help it. She hated him. 

Ever since landing, her phone had been blowing with texts and phone calls. Her brother, Kai, and Suki were all trying to get a hold of her. She had informed Kai that she would catch a cab from the airport instead of riding with him and Zuko. Sokka kept calling to apologize for not telling her of Zuko joining them that holiday season. 

She watched as the scenery changed from a bustling city to dense forest, ports, and docks. She opened her window and breathed in the fresh, clean air the trees had created. 

Soon she would be home, and she would lock herself in her room until her boyfriend, who treated her like a princess, needed her to come and pick him up from the airport. 

In her anger, she had almost changed her returning flight to that day just to put as much distance between her and Zuko, but her mother had talked her off that ledge. 

Her phone rang once more and when she looked down to see it was Jet calling. 

“Kat, babe, are you okay? Your mom, brother, and Suki all called me.” 

His voice was soothing her angry nerves. “Honestly, no, I’m not. Do you remember that guy, Zuko, I told you about?”

“Yeah, the prick your brother is friends with?”

“Well, he’s here to spend the holidays with my family for the next two weeks. Everyone was calling you because I sent out a text saying I was going home, but my mom talked me out of it. God, I’m so sorry that they all called you. Are you at work?” 

“Yeah, but it’s okay. I was worried, and I couldn’t get to my phone fast enough. I’ll book a flight and come up for Christmas. Everyone will be-”

“No, Jet, it’s fine. I can handle Zuko. I’ll see you for New Years’.”

“New Year’s Eve, baby. I love you, and I’ll call you later tonight. It’s a three-hour time difference, right?”

“It is and I love you too.” She listened to the end call beeping before placing her phone back in her lap. 

The driver had turned onto her driveway just outside of the small town of Cordova. “Are you related to the Westbrooks?” He asked her and eyed her through his rearview mirror.

“I’m their youngest, Katara.” She explained and smiled kindly to the driver, who nodded and sent back a warm smile of his own. 

“Well, welcome home Miss Westbrook.” 

Katara looked through the window at the large three-story cabin-style mansion. The exterior mimicked a log cabin made of both large rustic tree trunks and smooth stones. The front entrance was as grand as the weaving driveway with a raised wrap-around porch, massive log pillars, large floor-to-ceiling windows that displayed the elegant staircase inside the house. The front doors stood at ten feet tall, with traditional Inuit tribal designs adorning them. The fresh layers of snow covering her home only added to the holiday spirit she was feeling. Her father must have hired the men from town to hang the Christmas lights outside and decorate the two large evergreens that stood in front of the house. 

“Thank you very much for the ride.” Katara handed over a large bill from her purse, “keep the change and have a wonderful holiday.” She stepped out of the car in her camel wool coat with her backpack flung over her shoulder. The cab driver retrieved her carry-on and suitcase for her before wishing her a happy holiday as well.

Katara dragged both bags with her towards the stairs before hearing her father bounding down the stairs to greet her. “Dad!” She left her bags and ran into his open arms. 

“I’m so glad you’re home.” He crushed her against him and kissed the top of her head. “Let's get you settled in.” She nodded and watched as he grabbed her bags to bring up to her old bedroom.

 **_________________________________________________________________________________** **  
  
**

**_Flashback_ **

_“What the hell did you do to her?!” Sokka hardly ever yelled. Only when his patience was pushed to the brink._

_“Nothing!” Zuko yelled back, getting in his roommate’s face._

_“Wait… that was Sokka’s sister?” All three men turned to see Teo roll over to them in his wheelchair. “You were all over her last night! How old is she, Zuko?”_

_“YOU DID WHAT WITH MY SISTER?”_

_Kai ushered them both into his room on the opposite side of their shared suite. His roommate Enzo sensed the tension and ducked out before the yelling started again._

_“FUCKING NOTHING! We made out Sokka! She’s just being a brat!”_

_Kai sat on his bed and scrolled through his texts until he found Katara’s number, he texted her to make sure she was okay._

_“Katara can be a brat, but I’ve never seen her look that… devastated Zuko. What happened? If you hurt her…”_

_“What, Sokka?? What are you going to do?”_

_“I’ll ask Enzo to switch rooms, or I’ll move out altogether. I can’t be around someone who would hurt my sister.” Sokka answered him truthfully and Zuko felt his heart sink. His best friend was willing to move out, separate himself from the man who made his sister cry. The thought of losing one of the first friends he had ever made outside of his father’s friend’s circle had him spilling his guts._

_“Mai and I got into a fight. You know how we get and when you brought Katara down to the party, I was already drinking. I was sober enough to know what I was doing. Mai was watching her like a hawk and I knew it would rile her up enough to talk to me if I flirted with your sister.”_

_Zuko watched as Sokka wrinkled his nose, crossed his arms, and puffed out his chest._

_“But it wasn’t working until I started to get more comfortable with her… I was kissing her, dancing with her, making her drinks. I made them weak! I swear! And around one or one-thirty, I walked her up to Suki’s room and we made out on her bed, but that's it.” Kai looked up from his phone and handed it to Sokka. Zuko scowled at the man on the bed._

_“So you didn’t ask her out for a coffee date this morning?”_

_Zuko thought back to the night before and vaguely remembered something about getting coffee. It explained why she looked more dressed up than usual. “I think so, but I can’t remember…” He said honestly, and Sokka pulled out his short ponytail and ran his fingers through his hair._

_“Zuko, she's been into you since last year. I think you’re the first guy she's ever actually liked. Don’t get me wrong, she’s thought others were good-looking or whatever, but none of them interested her the way you do and now you’ve used her. I’m her big brother. I’m supposed to protect her from guys that would hurt her… I know you didn’t mean to, but bro this whole situation is so fucked up. How am I supposed to be your friend and roommate knowing what you did to her? Do you get the position you’ve put me in? Do you understand just how much you’ve hurt her?”_

**_End flashback_ **

Looking back he lied to his best friend about his level of understanding to make him stay his best friend. In reality, he didn’t understand why he felt he needed to protect his sister so profoundly because he never felt that desire with his sister. Azula could take care of herself, and she would cut him down to size if he ever even attempted to aid her. 

He wished he could take back that night and had ignored Katara like he always had before. His actions didn’t save his relationship anyway. Mai had broken up with him for good the following year so she could explore who England had to offer. 

Now, Zuko watched as she stormed through the airport with the phone pressed to her ear. She sounded as cold as the rapidly declining weather outside. Her voice wasn’t raised, she wasn’t making a scene, but everyone around her gave her space. How could one night lead to someone hating him so much? 

“I’m going back to Chicago. I’d rather spend the holidays with Jet than you and than that asshole. I’m booking a flight home for tonight.” Zuko followed at a safe distance as she made her way down to baggage claim. 

Now, Zuko sat in Westbrook's black Subaru Forester’s passenger seat, staring out at the winter landscape. There was still no snow in Chicago, which he had appreciated. Here in Alaska, there was already a fresh, clean layer of snow that glittered for miles, and the temperature was staying steady in the teens.

“She’s home already. Hakoda took her to her room. I know you usually stay with Sokka in the guest room by his bedroom, but since it’s her home, I volunteered us the pool house in the yard. It has its own bathroom, kitchen, living room, bedrooms. We will go over for meals and Christmas Eve and day.” Kai explained to him as he drove down the empty strip of road that would get them to the house faster. 

“Do their parents know?”

“They know that she’s not your biggest fan, but they don’t know why. Honestly, your name hardly comes up anymore at the house when she’s there. Sokka tried to defend you when we came home that summer, but she wasn’t having it. She yelled at him, said he was a shit brother for still being your friend, and then moved to Northwestern early just to get away. They didn’t speak for her entire freshman year, and then she didn’t come home for summer that year because you were here so really they didn’t see each other until Thanksgiving.” 

Zuko kept his reaction to himself. _How did I let this happen?_ He thought to himself as he continued staring out the window. But he could still picture how bright her blue eyes shined as the tears stained her cheeks. She looked crushed, and he had caused that. 

“Sokka and I know you didn’t mean to hurt her as much as you did, and Sokka would never tell you the full extent of what happened between them, but you deserve to know. Especially since the next two weeks are basically her graduation party.”

“She graduated? That’s not possible she still has one year left, doesn’t she? She’s only 21.”

“She’s 22 Zuko and she graduated a semester early. You know, all those summers she was avoiding you she was taking classes or interning.” 

Of course, she had. She was always an overachiever. Sokka was just naturally brilliant. He could solve any problem, but he remembered Sokka telling him of her internship with Doctors Without Borders, low-income clinics on the south side of Chicago, and Chicago Public Schools as a summer school nurse. 

His mother had always loved Sokka and Katara, and the rest of their family. Zuko felt his lips twitch as he recalled her meeting them for the first time. Once the Westbrooks were safely back at their hotel, she had broken down in tears. When he asked what was wrong, she said, _“Oh nothing, sweetheart. I’m just so happy you’ve found such a wonderful friend who comes from such a loving family. I just wish you had met him sooner. Maybe your childhood wouldn’t have been so hard.”_

The house finally came into view as Kai pulled up the five-car garage. Instead of heading straight inside and hugging the family he had grown close to in the last six years, he followed Kai through the yard to the pool house. The pool house looked like a miniature version of the main house. He nodded to Kai, who said he would order them a pizza, and then made his way to the guest bedroom upstairs. He tossed his bag on the bed and began to unpack for the next two weeks. 

**_________________________________________________________________________________**

**December 20, 2019**

It had been two days, and he hadn’t seen Katara once. Her parents said she was volunteering at the local hospital to keep up with her training. She didn’t start at Northwestern Memorial Hospital until February, and she was nervous about screwing up something simple. 

Today, Zuko was out in the woods behind the Westbrooks estate hunting down the perfect Christmas tree. Mr. Westbrook had always felt like the father he never had. He was warm, complimentary, encouraged him to follow his dreams, and supportive. While he had been kind enough when he checked up on him and Kai in the pool house that first night, Zuko knew he was suspicious of him now. 

Sokka stood beside his father, checking out the black spruce before them. His sister had been noticeably absent most of the week, and Sokka wondered just how long she could keep up this behavior. Zuko was all, but family and Sokka struggled to find a balance between them. Neither of them asked for him to side with them. After six years, he watched as his sister resigned herself to her anger and heartache instead of finding it in herself to forgive. Granted, Zuko had never reached out to seek forgiveness. 

It felt like a losing battle, and ever since her graduation celebration back in Chicago, two weeks ago, he felt like he couldn’t be around her without cracking. 

“Sokka? Do you think this one will work for Christmas this year?” Sokka heard Zuko join him on his right side. 

“I think it will look great in the family room Mr. Westbrook.” Sokka had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Zuko had been trying to get back on his father’s good side, but the words seemed to make his father happy as he began the work to chop down the tree. 

“Sokka? What’s wrong? You’ve hardly said anything this week.”

Sokka looked up at his best friend and pulled him away from his father. “Katara’s boyfriend is cheating on her, and I don’t know how to tell her. Especially with you here. She’s already upset that she has to spend the holidays with you-sorry- but this… this would crush her. She swears up and down that she’s in love with him. That he’s perfect, treats her like a princess.”

Zuko took a deep breath as Sokka fretted over the information he was sharing. “He’s her first boyfriend, and her first… ya know… and they’ve been together for two years. I’ve never liked him, and I’ve always had my suspicions but to actually see it and during her graduation party at the bar he works at. I mean the balls on him!”

“And he’s coming for New Years’! How am I supposed to be in the same room as that scum! Cheating on my sister! She’s a fucking catch, don’t ever tell her I said that, and he doesn’t appreciate her in the least!” Zuko looked over at Hakoda, who had stopped working on the tree to listen to Sokka. 

“Do you have proof?” Hakoda asked his eldest and watched as Sokka tensed before turning to face his father. 

“Aang sent me pictures from other nights, but I don’t have any from her party,” Sokka explained, and both young men watched as he went back to working on the tree. 

“You will tell your sister, let her decide what she wants to do.”

“But dad! She’ll just say we’re lying! She’ll-”

“She’s not a little girl Sokka and heartbreak is a part of life. She deserves to know, and since it’s you who has this information, you must share it. That is how to protect your sister.” 

His father’s words were final, and Sokka nodded in agreement. Zuko watched the entire conversation from off to the side and marveled at how their family worked. Sokka was all worked up once again because a man had screwed his sister over and all he wanted to do was protect her. His father shared precisely how to do that, but Zuko could see and hear the pain in his eyes and voice. 

“If she decides to stay, maybe we should invite her other friends over for New Year’s Eve. Just have a party here instead of heading out to the bars.” Zuko offered, hoping once again to end up on Mr. Westbrooks’s good side. “Surround her with people who care to make up for the news.”

“That's a great idea! Thanks, man. Let’s get the tree back and I’ll talk to her tonight. Depending on how it goes, I’ll text you. Maybe you and Kai can work on getting Aang and Toph out here for New Years’.” 

The three men carried the tree together back to the girls’ main house to decorate that evening with a plan in place. As the three worked together to set up the tree, Katara slipped through the kitchen to greet her mother. Zuko could hear her as she described her day at the small hospital. She sounded so excited about getting to help the townspeople. 

“Mom, did you know the Tilberry’s have a new baby girl? I got to be their nurse today and she’s absolutely precious!” 

Sokka looked over at Zuko, who stared into the kitchen, fist closed, fighting the urge just to walk in there. He placed his hand on Zuko’s shoulder and pulled him back. “Don’t please. I already have to have a hard conversation with her.” 

Zuko stole another glance at the girl turned woman who hated him. She was in her light blue scrubs, hair in a loose low bun, no makeup, and glowing. _Maybe if I hadn’t hurt her, she wouldn’t be dating this Jet guy. And Sokka wouldn’t have to tell her what he’s doing behind her back._ No one that kind should have to deal with heartbreak like this. He relaxed his hand and turned back to the task at hand. 

**_________________________________________________________________________________** **  
**

**December 22, 2019**

For two days, Sokka sat on the information, trying to find the right time to tell Katara about Jet. Every time he built up the nerve to talk to her, she was pulled away. The first time, two days ago, there was a ten-car pileup, and the hospital needed more hands. His mother, Kai, and Katara were all called to help. The second time, at lunch the next day, her childhood friend Yue had called and demanded her presence. The third time, at breakfast that morning, she was so hungover that nothing he said would’ve made sense. 

Now, Sokka stood outside her room at eleven at night, listening to her and Suki chatting over the presents they were wrapping. He looked down at his phone where Aang had sent him pictures of Jet with different girls. 

Sokka knocked and listened as both girls shuffled to hide unwrapped presents from him. 

“Coming in now!” He called out and turned the knob. He stepped inside and froze, seeing Suki and his sister giggling and lounging on her bed. 

“Who do you need to see? Me or Suk?” Katara asked as she pulled her cardigan closer around her. 

“Uh.. you, Kat.” Both girls shared a look before Suki stood to leave. Sokka stopped her and kissed her cheek. 

“She’s stronger than you think.” His girlfriend whispered and patted his chest as she left the room. He closed the door and took a seat on her bed. 

“Everything okay?” God, she was so sweet when she wanted to be—always concerned about others. 

“No, and please just let me say everything I’m going to say before you yell at me. Please just listen. I’m not about to say this to hurt you or because I don’t like Jet. I’m telling you this because you deserve to know.” Sokka had practiced that at least thirty times in the mirror so that he didn’t trip over his words. 

“The night of your graduation party back in Chicago, I saw Jet pull this girl to the back. He was making out with her and telling her about how you would be out of town soon. Aang saw it too and he said it’s not the first time it’s happened.” Sokka handed over his phone, which she snatched and stared down at the pictures. Sokka kept his eyes on hers as she covered her mouth with her hand. Recognition flashed in her eyes as she took in the various girls’ faces. 

“Aang said he tried to tell you, but Jet threatened him.” Sokka hit the play button on the screen. Jet’s voice and loud music could be heard. 

_“You aren’t going to tell her anything, you fucking prick! Say anything, and I’ll beat the living daylights out of you. I can do what I want when I want. And she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”_

_“Then why are you cheating on her!”_

_“Because- I just needed to get off. Those other girls meant nothing!”_

_“Why isn’t Katara enough?”_

_“One girl is never enough, kid; you’ll learn that as you get older.”_

Katara sat, flipping through the pictures. Some of the girls she didn’t know. Some were her classmates. One was her freshman year roommate. She listened to Aang try to defend her, only to get shut down. _One girl is never enough kid…_

Sokka waited quietly. She didn’t ask any questions. She didn’t yell. She didn’t even speak. But he saw the tears fill her eyes. “Kat-”

“I’m- I just need some time. Thank you for telling me.” She handed him back his phone and crawled under her covers. To Sokka, she looked like she had when they had to put their 13-year-old dog down—stunned and heartbroken. 

He leaned over her and kissed her forehead. “Suki and I are just down the hall. I love you, Kat.” He whispered to her and watched as she hugged her old stuffed wolf, Albert Sniffer the Third. 

As soon as he stepped outside and closed her door Zuko, Kai, and Suki were waiting for him. They all listened to the soft, muffled cries and the whispered question, why me? Suki tried to push past him to check on the girl she considered a sister, only for Sokka to stop her. 

“Let’s give her the night. We can come to check on her tomorrow morning.” Sokka whispered, and she nodded. Kai looked back at the door and ignored Sokka slipping in. “Damit Kai…” He cursed, and they all heard the bed creak, and her cries become louder but muffled. 

“Did you really think he wouldn’t run in to comfort her?” Zuko asked as the three of them headed down to the kitchen. Zuko knew the feelings Kai had for Katara. One drunken night the year prior, his friend had dumped everything onto him. He went about how beautiful she was, how smart, kind, empathic she was. Kai said he always liked Katara, but it wasn’t until he saw her with a boyfriend that he realized how stupid it was for him not to ask her out sooner. 

Zuko had to remind him that he was training to become a firefighter, which also led to him not being able to ask her out. Zuko wondered what they were talking about or if he was just holding her. When he held her, she was skinny with breasts and hips that were just starting to develop. From what he had seen on the plane, he wished she didn’t hate him so he could comfort her. If only to know the difference between then and now. 

“No, but I had hoped he would give her some space. Like ten minutes at least.” Sokka explained and Zuko snorted, knowing Kai would never give Katara space. 

“Aang and Toph both have flights booked for December 28 from O’Hare to Anchorage. What do we do about Jet’s ticket?” 

“Thanks for doing that, bud. I think Katara is going to have to call him and hopefully tell him not to come. Finally, break up with him. I showed her the pictures, and she recognized some of the girls. I did too. Some were her classmates. I think one was that god-awful roommate of hers from freshman year. There had to be at least six different girls, and that's only the pictures Aang was able to get.” Sokka explained as Zuko got to work on making everyone tea. He picked up the box of Jasmine tea leaves his uncle always sent to the Westbrooks and began to brew the particular blend. 

“Want to know the worst part? When he was threatening Aang, he said, ‘One girl is never enough’ like what he was doing wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone other than you, Suki. Who could be that cruel?” Zuko felt a flush crawl up his neck as he remembered using Katara solely to get back at his girlfriend. 

Zuko was that cruel to his little sister. Now, another man was that cruel to her too. “Here, drink up. It will help us all settle down for the night.” Zuko handed them the teacups and downed his own. “I’ll clean up and then head back to the pool house.”

“Just stay here tonight. It’s freezing outside, and Kai won’t be there, so just stay in the guest room. I’ll bring you some clothes for tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Sokka. Goodnight.”

“Night Zuko.”

 **_________________________________________________________________________________** ****  
  


Kai slipped into the bed with her and pulled her flush against his chest. “I’ve got ya, Kitkat.” He whispered to her as he stroked her hair. He listened to her heartbroken sobs against his chest and hugged her tighter. When he and Sokka got back to Chicago, he was going to kill Jet. He was going to make Sokka, Haru, and Zuko come to help. 

Hours passed, and he felt her finally fall asleep. The stuffed wolf he had won for her at a fair when they were kids was tucked between them. He cradled her against him and pulled the blanket securely over her so she would stay warm. Knowing she was fast asleep, he passed out as well. His body curled around her protectively out of instinct. 

The next morning he awoke to a sleeping Katara, breathing against his neck, with her arm draped over his waist. He kissed the top of her head and stole a glance at the clock. 10:30 am. “Kitkat” He shook her gently. “Kitkat, time to wake up.”

Katara nuzzled his neck and mumbled a no, please. How could he say no to her? “Fine.” He agreed and felt her snuggle in closer. He had nowhere to be and was perfectly content being her emotional support. 

“Is there something wrong with me?” He heard her whisper, and instantly all of the rage he had felt the night before came flooding back. 

“Not a damn thing. You are as close to perfect as a person can be, Kat. He did what he’s done because he knows on some level you’re way too good for him. He dropped out of school to pursue what? Being a bartender? He has no goals, no aspirations. He’s never come out to visit your family or try to build a relationship with them.” Kai squeezed her tight when he heard the telltale signs of tears. 

“You’re amazing Kat. The right guy will come along when you least expect it.” 

Katara pulled away from her brother’s friend and stared up at him as he tucked some loose hair behind her ear. She took in the chiseled jawline, dark stubble covering his jaw, slightly parted lips, straight nose, thick dark eyebrows, and ice blue eyes. She had watched this face change every year, and only now tucked in his arms was she really looking at him. 

“I’ve been involved with two guys. Two, Kai. Both have managed to…” Katara choked up and went to wipe her fresh tears, but his hand beat her to it. “Why me, Kai?”

Kai wiped her cheek and tucked her face back against his neck. He smoothed her hair and rubbed her back with his other hand. “I don’t know.” He whispered back to her and sighed against her thick hair. 

**_________________________________________________________________________________**

**December 24, 2019**

Katara hadn’t left her room for two whole days. She cleaned over and over again. She reorganized, rearranged, and then reorganized again. Her father and mother had to check on her. They brought her food and drinks, but she hardly ate. She was mourning the loss of a two-year relationship. Two years of her life wasted on a man who was not satisfied by her. 

The only person she tolerated was Kai, who had snuck into her room each night to hold her while she cried. The Christmas spirit was completely sucked out of her. She did not help decorate the tree this year. She did not help prepare the cookies for delivery, and she did not help her mother get ready for the annual Christmas party. 

No, she cleaned, cleaned, and then cleaned some more. In between cleaning, she sat in her bed, reading nook, or the window bench and cried. She cried because she was hurt. She cried because she still loved him. She cried because she didn’t know what to do. And she cried because she had to figure out what to do before he arrived in four days. 

Now, she laid in the bathtub soaking in the scalding hot water. Suki had prepared it for her with lavender-scented bath salts, peony scented bath bombs, her favorite candle, mahogany teakwood, and a tray that had a glass of white wine, a small bowl of blueberries, and her iPad playing Elf. The lights were off, so only the candles around the bathroom gave her light. 

She had a mud mask covering her face and a deep conditioner mask in her hair. After two days of tears, she finally relaxed a little. As she watched the movie and ate her favorite berries, all she thought about was what she was going to say. Jet had texted that he wanted to call her tonight to wish her a Merry Christmas. They had exchanged presents at the airport with the intent of opening them together at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Part of her was shocked to see the photos of Jet with other girls, but another part of her knew. On some level, she always knew that he was betraying her trust. In her mind, it was Bee. It was always Bee. They lived together, grew up together, and Katara had always thought she was pretty. But instead of cheating on her with Bee, he cheated on her with half of Lincoln Park and her graduating class. 

She couldn’t be emotional. He would use that to make her feel guilty. Part of her wanted Sokka, Suki, and Kai there with her, but she knew she had to do this on her own. As the movie came to an end, she moved the fancy tray off to the side, emptied the tub, and moved to the stand-alone shower. She used her loofah to exfoliate her skin, washed out the deep conditioner, and finally washed her face. She wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and moved to the room to get dressed. 

She lathered her Brazilian bum bum lotion until it covered her from the neck down. She blow-dried her hair and curled it until it fell in large loose curls down her back. She put on her undergarments and then the red satin dress her mother had bought for her with Suki the day before. Last, she worked on her makeup. A thin layer of foundation to cover the tear tracks on her cheeks, concealer to hide the bags under her eyes, blush to bring some color to cheeks, mascara and bronze eyeshadow to highlight her blue eyes, and her favorite lipstick that mimicked the color of her the dusty pink lips. She slipped into the red strappy heels before spritzing her flowerbomb nectar perfume on her neck and wrists. 

She stood looking at herself in the mirror. The red dress had spaghetti thin straps, a cowl necked line, and stopped just above her knees. It hugged her breasts, waist, hips, and ass in a way that left Katara blushing. She couldn’t believe her mother had picked this out for her. She felt like she could handle the room of people downstairs in this dress, and she was only expected to make an appearance. She could be in her Christmas pj’s by ten if she played her cards right. 

“Kai, could you just give this to her. I know she doesn’t want to speak to me, but Sokka and I spoke, and I know this will at least help her a little.” She listened as Zuko handed over what sounded like papers to Kai. “I'll see you both downstairs.”

Katara listened to Zuko’s heavy footsteps fade down the stairs past her door. She wondered what he could’ve possibly given to Kai for her. She picked up the gold rose hairpin Zuko’s mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday and pulled half of her hair back into it. 

“I’m coming out!” She called and opened her bedroom door. 

Kai held onto the two envelopes from Zuko and adjusted his navy sports coat. When Katara finally stepped out, he felt his cheeks burn the same color as her dress. She looked radiant—no sign of the tears from that morning. 

“Wow…” He let out a breath and let his eyes roam from her feet to her face and back down again. “You look amazing.” 

“You clean up pretty well yourself.” Katara blushed as she took in his slim navy suit, crisp white button-up, and satin navy blue tie. “What are those?” She asked, nodding to the envelopes. 

He was so blinded by her dress that he had forgotten Zuko’s request. “What are what?”

“The envelopes?”

Yes, of course, the envelopes. “These are from Zuko. He’s been working on something for you.” He explained and handed them over. 

“I’ll go put these on my desk, and then we can head down, kay?”

“Kay.” It was all he could get out as he watched as her hips swayed with every step back into her room. 

**_________________________________________________________________________________**

Zuko, Sokka, and Suki all hand glasses of wine in their hands while watching Sokka’s grandfather, Pakku, get reprimanded by gran gran for yelling at the children running around the house. Kya and Hakoda were speaking with Bato and Mila about their shared businesses in town. Everyone at the party were family or friends. Kai’s parents and sisters were there, Enzo and his family, Katara’s cousin Camilla with her family. 

Zuko was the first to spot her as she made her way down the stairs on Kai’s arm. As he stared, everyone else gaze followed and watched as Kai and Katara whispered about sneaking into the kitchen to get the cookies her mother had put aside for Christmas day. Zuko let his eyes trail up and down her slender frame before landing on the pin in her hair. 

Not only was she wearing his favorite color, but the gold rose hairpin his mother had gotten her. The sight gave him some hope of repairing the damaged and hurt he had caused her six years ago. 

He kept his distance but still trailed behind Sokka and Suki as they moved to greet her at the bottom of the grand spiral staircase. 

“My goodness, I know you love blue, but red is so your color.” Suki hugged her tightly and checked her face for signs of tears. “You only have to stay for a little while, and then it’s flannels and bed.” Katara nodded before smiling up at her brother, who was already pulling in for a bear hug. 

Katara looked over her brother's shoulder at Zuko, who met her gaze. He raised his glass and gave a slight nod in hello. She sent a small smile his way before pulling away from her brother. 

“Alright, where’s my glass?” Katara asked, smiling brightly at the group that surrounded her. 

The party continued like it always had. Christmas songs were played and sung. Dinner was served in the dining room. Katara spent most of her time helping the children make their plates and cut their food. She then helped with decorating some cookies. Everyone under 25 was given one gift to open that evening. Most of the children were given wood-carved toys or dolls. The teens were given handmade sweaters. Katara opened her present from her parents and started to tear up. It was an engraved stethoscope and set of wildcat purple scrubs. 

“Mom, Dad, this is so sweet, thank you!” She looped the stethoscope around her neck and hugged both her parents. 

“We’re just so proud of you, sweetheart. Another nurse in the family is something to celebrate.” Her mother kissed her cheek while her father rubbed her back and tucked her into his side. 

For the sake of the kids, Katara spent the rest of the night listening to little heartbeats through her new stethoscope. At ten, she dismissed herself, said her goodbyes to her family and childhood friends. Sokka, Suki, Kai, and Zuko all dismissed themselves as well and began to filter into their rooms. 

“You sure you don’t want me here?” Suki asked once again, only for Katara to once again turn her down. 

“I’ll be okay. If anything, I’ll crawl into bed with you and Sokka.”

Suki snorted and looked over at her brother, who was having a heated discussion with Kai and Zuko. 

“I’m sure he’ll love that. Goodnight Kat, see you in the morning.” 

“Night, Suki.”

Katara ignored the young men in the hall and slipped into her room. She set her new stethoscope back in its case and started to take out her earrings. She slipped out of her heels and curled her painted toes into the carpet. She heard a light knock at the door and called for whoever it was to come in. She figured it was most likely Kai. 

“Hey, Katara.” The raspy voice from her sent the butterflies in her stomach fluttering about. She froze and felt her hands ball into fists at her sides. “I just wanted to leave this here with you. It’s from my mom. She had it made for you to give as a graduation gift. I was going to mail it to you in May, but Kai had mentioned you already graduated. Congrats, by the way.”

He felt like an idiot. He could see how tense she was. She had asked him to steer clear of her for the entire two weeks, but when he found out she had already graduated, he texted Haru and asked him to ship him the gift overnight. He was pleasantly surprised when it arrived. He got it cleaned and wrapped it for her the same day it arrived. Now, he sighed and placed the gift box on top of the envelopes he had asked Kai to give to her earlier and turned to leave. 

Katara looked over her shoulder and, against her better judgment, asked him to stop. “This is from your mom?” She asked him as she walked towards the gift box on her desk. 

“Azula was never really the daughter she had hoped for. You filled that void for a while. She adored you.” Zuko shoved his hands in his pockets, still as awkward as ever. 

Katara started to unwrap the present and found the small note on the outside of the box. It was in his mother’s immaculate handwriting. 

_Dearest Katara,_

_Congratulations, my sweet girl! I am so fortunate to get to share you with your mother. Thank you for continuing to visit, call, and write even with what happened with my son. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him one day, but I know what he did was cruel._

_I love you with all my heart, and I hope you wear this with pride._

_Love always,_

_Ursa_

Katara ran her fingers over the dried ink and took the note, placing it in the hatbox Ursa had picked up for her at a vintage shop. There she kept all of the letters and little trinkets Ursa had sent her over the years. 

She opened the jewelry box next and gasped at what was inside. “Oh Ursa…” She looked up at Zuko, who frowned, trying to see what it was. “Can you help me put it on?”

He nodded and reached out his hand for what he assumed was a necklace. When she pulled it out, he saw that it was a choker that looked exactly like her mother’s but instead of carved stone and ribbon, it was a delicate silver chain, with a silver pendant and one solitary sapphire at the crest of the wave design. 

She lifted her hair and felt the warmth of his body as closed on her. He brought the choker about her neck and let out a warm breath on the back of her neck as he clasped the two ends together. He stayed close for a minute more, smelling her sweet perfume—the vanilla and jasmine notes invading his senses. 

He had to force himself not to grab her hips and close the distance between them. She let her hair fall down her back and looked at the choker in the mirror before looking at him behind her. He was easily seven or eight inches taller than her. 

He met her gaze and held it for as long as he dared. “I should let you get to bed.” He stepped away and loosened his tie as he walked towards her door. 

Katara reached for his arm and pulled him back towards her. “Thank you, Zuko.” She blushed under his intense gaze. “Your mom meant a lot to me.” She took her hand back and nodded to her door. “Oh, wait! What’s in the envelopes?”

Zuko leaned against her door frame and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt. “The yellow one has your lease in it. I spoke to the landlord and was able to break the lease and get your deposit back. I figure you can stay with Suki until you find a new place.” 

“And the small white one?”

“The apology you deserved six years ago.” He stood up straight and stepped further away from her door. “Goodnight, Katara.”

She nodded and felt her stomach twist into knots. She sank against her door as she played with the pendant now sitting against the column of her neck. She closed her eyes as she thought about how his cologne lingered in her room, how warm he felt, his deep raspy voice, his molten gold eyes. She hated how her body reacted right away like an addict being kept away from her addiction. 

She had asked him not to help her, but he did it anyway, and it was more than she could ever thank him for. She wouldn’t have to stay with Jet when she got back. She would live with Suki even though she lived so far from the hospital; it was better than living with her future ex-boyfriend. She picked up the small white envelope and ripped it open, wanting to know what he had to say after all these years. 

_Katara,_

His handwriting looked exactly like his mother’s. It broke her heart when Ursa had died, and she missed their letters. She never thought she would see that handwriting again.

_First, I know I have many things to apologize for but let me start with apologizing for taking so long to apologize. I should’ve called you or gone to the hotel and apologized right away, but I was an ass, and I didn’t think I had done anything wrong. I should also apologize for forgetting most of what happened that night and morning. I apologized to your brother. I worked things out with him and figured that was enough. You were always so kind; I guess I just assumed you would forgive me with time._

_My lack of empathy and understanding of what happened between us led me to think you were just being young and dramatic. I do remember what happened that night. I remember holding you. I remember kissing you. I remember losing all track of time with you and becoming lost to the feeling of your lips, skin, and hold on me._

_That night was a series of many firsts that I had no right to take. Those firsts deserved to be with someone who had cared as deeply for you as you did for them. I stole those from you, and that wasn’t right. I feel I pushed you too far by taking off your clothes, which was not right either. I touched you so intimately with no consideration for how you felt about it or how far I was taking things. For that, I am also very sorry._

_I am most sorry for how I treated you the following day. I asked you to come to my room. I asked you to go for coffee. And then, in my hungover, flustered state, I forgot. I just wanted you out because I had Mai, but that was wrong. You deserved an explanation and apology right then and there, and I was too embarrassed to give you one._

_I’m an ass for yelling at you. I’m an ass for treating you like you had read the evening wrong because you hadn’t. You thought I was into you because I acted like I was. I was wrong. Every choice I made that night was wrong. I should’ve just made sure your drinks were weak and that you made it to bed like I had promised your brother._

_I understand if you can’t forgive me. In all honesty, I wouldn’t, but that’s one of the many reasons you’ve always been better than me._

_I am so sorry for the pain I caused, and I hope one day we can be on the same plane together peacefully._

_-Zuko_

Katara reread the letter twice before standing and placing it in the hatbox with all of Ursa's letters. She felt her heart thaw with every word and every acknowledgment of what he had done. 

Had he apologized that day or even a week later, she probably wouldn’t have acted with as much grace as he expected? She was kind to a fault, and he had hurt her deeply. Now, she was older, she had tried to move on from what had happened, and Jet had helped with that. 

She hated the phone call she had to make, and she hated that she had to break up with the man who had helped her see that she didn’t have to hide from men. 

She changed into her flannel pjs, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and brushed her hair. She found the small box he had given her and ripped through the wrapping to find another jewelry box. 

The small black velvet box could have earrings in it. _They could just be earrings. They could just be-_

A solitary diamond princess cut sat on a silver band staring back at her. 

**_________________________________________________________________________________**

Katara sat and watched the clock, knowing he was staying up late to get her call and her answer to his proposal. Maybe he gave her the wrong gift by accident. _Who proposes over the phone?_ She thought as she stared down at the ring that was meant to be her Christmas gift. 

The ring just made her angrier the longer she looked at it. He was going to propose on her favorite holiday. She had always said she didn’t want that. She had said that Christmas was a holiday that was meant for family and shouldn’t be outshined by an anniversary. Jet had countered that no one really celebrated when they got engaged. They celebrated when they got married. That was the important anniversary. But to Katara, every major event in her life held a special meaning and should be celebrated. 

**[Katara: Send me the pictures, please.]**

**[Sokka: 7 images]**

**[Sokka: You good?]**

Katara thought about what to say. She was angry, heartbroken, betrayed, and confused. She loved Jet, and maybe he would stop if they were married?

No, she wouldn’t be so naïve again. He had been cheating her their entire relationship. She had proof, and now all she wanted was an explanation. She would return the ring when she got back. 

**[Katara: not at all. Could you text Aang and have him pick up my things from my apartment to keep at his place until we get back. I don’t Jet to mess with my stuff]**

Sokka looked over at Suki and showed her the text. 

“Where is she going to stay? Is she getting out of her lease?” Suki asked. 

Sokka looked towards the door and got up to head to the guest room.

“Did you actually call her landlord?”

Zuko was sitting with his back against the headboard, black wire frame glasses on, shirt off, reading. He took off his glasses and rubbed his good eye nodding his head. 

“Well yeah. She didn’t leave her room for the last two days. How was she supposed to live with him?” Zuko asked as Suki popped in. “I figured she’d live with Suki.” 

Sokka nodded for Suki to leave and shut the door behind her. “Actually, I was going to ask to move in with Suki and leave you with my loft. I’m proposing to her in two days, and she’s been begging me to move in with her so we can fix up her place.”

Zuko sat up straighter and knew exactly where Sokka was going with this. “No way. Sokka, she can hardly tolerate me. The only reason I got to go in tonight was that she thought I was Kai or you and then because of the gift from my mom. She’ll never agree to live with me!” Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Can’t she stay with Kai? Or one of her other friends?”

Sokka shook his head and leaned back against the door. They were both quiet until Zuko finally gave up. “Fine, but you owe me. And I mean big!” 

“Anything!”

“When she and I get hungry, your in charge of paying for all of the take-out we order until she finds her own place.”

Sokka made a face because he knew Zuko enjoyed eating out far more than cooking, and Katara would never skip on a free meal. But his sister had nowhere to go, and it was essentially his fault. 

“Ugh, okay, you win.”

Zuko smirked and strolled over to his friend. “I always do.” He clapped his hand on Sokka’s shoulder and pulled him in for a hug. “And congrats man. Do you have the ring already?” 

“Tucked safely away in my parent’s room.” Zuko nodded and was about to dismiss him when they heard a loud crash. 

**_________________________________________________________________________________**

Katara jumped up and down on her bed, trying to exhaust herself in the hopes that it would make her sound more indifferent. Jet never handled her emotions very well, and she was feeling extra emotional that evening.

The bottle of red wine she had drunk sloshed around in her stomach. “You will say no. You will tell him to fuck off. You will call him a tiny dick bast-“ 

“I’m okay!”

Sokka, Kai, Zuko, and Suki filed into her room as she rubbed the right side of her ribs and hip. “Are you drunk?” Her brother asked as she stood up slowly. 

“Buzzzzzzzzed,” She smiled and moved to sit on her bed. She picked up the empty bottle and frowned. “I thought I had more.” 

Sokka walked over to her and took the bottle from her. “Why are you drinking?”

“Because Jet is going to propose. So I thought wine would make me brave enough to turn him down. But then I started to get really worked up, so I thought jumping on the bed would help calm me down. Then I fell.” 

Zuko looked down, holding in the laugh that threatened to escape. Kai looked over at her nightstand and found the offending piece of jewelry. 

“He doesn’t know me at all! I mean, really asking me to marry him on my favorite holiday after I have said how tacky that is! Well, not so much tacky, but I told him how I didn’t want our anniversary to overshadow Christmas.” Katara was rambling as she laid back on her bed with her phone hovering her face. 

Everyone was simply watching to see what she would do next. Zuko couldn’t remember if he had ever seen her drunk before. But he did see the moment the phone lit up and almost hit her face. He reached for the phone and caught it. His middle finger grazing her nose while the ringtone blared in both of their ears. She swiped the phone from his hand and sat up, staring down at the picture of her and Jet on the beach. She clicked the green button, and everyone in the room held their breath. 

“Why is Aang asking to come and get your stuff tomorrow Kat?”

Katara ran her hand through her hair and looked up at the group of people staring at her. “Because I’m not going to live with you when I get back.”

“We signed a lease!”

“My parents got me a lawyer who helped me get out of it.” Zuko looked over at Kai and Sokka, who both raised their brows in respect for her quick lie and his quick work to get her out of the lease and get her half of the deposit back. 

Silence. She looked around her room and picked up the ring from her nightstand. “Jet-”

“Why are you doing this?! What happened?”

_What happened? You cheated on me!_

“I don’t know, Jet. Why don’t you tell me?” 

Silence again, and she could see how uncomfortable everyone in the room was. She waved them out of her room, but they all stayed. Drama was always intriguing when it wasn’t your own.

“Katara, I don’t know what you think I’ve done.”

“No, I don’t know all who you’ve done. I know at least six of them, though. Three graduated with me two weeks ago!” She shouted into the phone and listened to him curse.

“I told that little prick to stay out of it. Katara, it’s not what it looks like. I want to spend forever with you. I lov-”

“You can’t love someone and then tell their friend that one girl is never enough! What did you really think you were magically going to be able to control your dick when we got engaged? Or just hoped I wouldn’t find out ever? Maybe tell me to visit my parents whenever you need to get off with one of my friends? How about after we got married? Would you stop then? Would you bring her into our bed? Or go to her place?”

They all waited for answers, but there was silence once again on the other end of the phone. She hoped he was looking at the beautiful TRIWA Blue Steel leather wristwatch she had gotten him for Christmas. She hoped that maybe he felt guilty for at least getting caught.

“I wouldn’t have cheated had you put out sooner. You had all that damn baggage from your brother’s asshole roommate, and I helped you through that! But men have fucking needs Kat and you weren’t meeting any of mine, so yeah, I cheated. It was few dumb chicks here and there. They didn’t mean anything. It was just sex! You’re overreacting!”

Zuko flushed hearing her boyfriend's explanation, and it brought back every horrible thing he had yelled at her in the hallway that morning. He watched her eyes began to fill with unshed tears. Sokka and Suki watched on while Kai moved to sit next to her on the bed. 

She took a minute to compose herself and took a deep breath. The wine was a good idea because it made her brave, even if the conversation was sobering her up very quickly.

“No, I’m not overreacting. I trusted you. I gave you all the freedom in the world to do what you wanted and hang out with your friends, and all I wanted in return was for you to only be with me. That's the deal when you get into a relationship. When you asked me to be your girlfriend, you were signing away your chance to sleep with other girls. You can’t be upset with me because I’m not okay with you betraying my trust.” 

“And as for Zuko. Your right I was a basket case after that happened, and you did help. But you are doing exactly the same thing right now. You’re blaming me when I haven't done anything wrong. I didn’t have to have sex with you the first night, first date, or tenth date because I wasn’t comfortable with you yet. You don’t get to use my comfort level when it comes to sex as an excuse to cheat. So fuck you Jet, we’re through. And if any of my stuff is missing or ruined when Aang comes to get it tomorrow, I will make sure Mochi doesn’t bring you on as his partner for the new bar. All that hard work for nothing because you couldn’t keep it in your pants! I will mail you the ring and my key. Don’t come to Alaska and lose my number.” 

She hung up as he started to try to and apologize. She closed the velvet box and threw it across the room before collapsing into Kai’s arms. Everything hurt again. He yelled at her. Jet had never yelled at her. He blamed their sex life. She wasn’t ready when he wanted her to be, so his cheating was her fault. She knew that he was wrong, but she couldn’t help but feel like this was truly all her fault again. “I-” 

Kai rubbed her back and wrapped his arms around her entirely as she sobbed into his chest once more. “I’ve got her. Go to bed, guys.” He said and lifted her in his arms to tuck her under the blanket. Zuko watched as yet again she was reduced to tears because of another man. He wondered what more they could do to try and make this holiday better for her. 

**___________________________________________________________________________________**

**December 25, 2019**

Katara could not sleep. She stayed up most of the evening holding her stuffed wolf while Kai held her. At some point, he fell asleep, but his death group around her never let up. She watched the time tick away on the clock before giving up on sleep and wiggling to her freedom. She slipped on her fluffy slide slippers and shuffled down to the kitchen. 

To her surprise, she wasn’t the only one awake. “Hi, this is Zuko Azulon leaving a message for… Kristie Blackwell. I was reading on your site about-”

Katara stepped into the kitchen, giving him a weird look as she started to riffle through her cabinets. “Please just call me back at 212- 365- 9090. Thank you.”

Katara pulled out the jasmine tea his uncle sent them every year and began to brew a pot. She pulled out a tiny teacup for herself and some of her mother’s cookies before realizing she was being rude. She turned and held up the teacup, silently asking him if he wanted one as well. When he nodded, she fought back the scowl and grabbed a second cup. 

They didn’t speak as she worked on brewing the tea while he typed away on his computer. She looked over her shoulder at his bare chest, red flannel pants, and black wire-framed glasses. _Since when does he wear glasses?_ She poured them both a cup of tea and brought over the small plate full of sugar cookies. 

“Isn’t it a little late for cookies?” He asked as he took a sip of his tea. She rolled her eyes and dipped the cookie into her tea, enjoying the taste of the tea on her cookie. 

“Never too late for cookies.” She ate another cookie to drive home the point. 

Now, Zuko rolled his eyes and went back to work on his computer. He wasn’t about to believe that one moment in her room would be enough to change things between them. But something had changed. She wasn’t ignoring him, and she made him tea. She didn’t scowl when she looked at him, and she didn’t retreat to her room once she was done. 

He stopped typing and looked up at her while she looked up at him. 

“I-” “Zu-” They both spoke at the same time and abruptly stopped when the other started to speak. 

“Thank you for getting me out of the lease, and…” She swallowed and looked down at her tea. “And your letter. I- I was a bitch on the plane, and I’m sorry for that.” She dunked another cookie into her tea and took a deep breath. “And I’m especially sorry for threatening to ruin your relationship with my parents. They both love you, and I know how much they mean to you.”

She dared to look up at him, seeing only his stoic, unfazed stare. She wondered if she had said too much. “Thank you, but you don’t have to apologize. I deserved it.” Katara tucked some loose hair behind her ear and went back to eating her cookies and drinking her tea. He went back to typing quickly on his computer. 

It was quiet for an awkwardly long amount of time. Zuko figured now was as good a time as any to let her know that she would be living with him when they got back to Chicago. “Sooo Suki and Sokka are going to live together…”

Katara lifted her eyes from the plate of cookies, and Zuko caught the shine of his mother’s gift still around her neck. He could see her trying to figure out what that meant. “Oh! He’s proposing! When do you know?”

“On the 26th.”

“Oh, that’s soon,” Katara said and thought it was odd that he was trying to make small talk. When he didn’t say anything else, it clicked. “They’re moving in together right away, aren't they?”

“Well, I guess I’ll stay at Sokka’s old loft until I can find a place. He didn’t already rent it out, did he?”

Katara watched as Zuko nervously rubbed the back of his neck, took off his glasses, and stared at his computer screen. The sight brought back the first time she had met him. He was so nervous about meeting their family and hardly spoke. She had found it adorable back then. Now, she was on edge by the sudden change in his demeanor. 

“Zuko?”

“I moved into the loft last week.”

Katara’s eyes went wide as she crushed a cookie in her hand. She took a deep breath and started to clean up the mess she made because cleaning was her coping mechanism. She had just accepted his apology. She was on the verge of forgiving him, but living with him? She wasn’t ready for that. She scrubbed her teapot, teacup, and plate, rinsed them, and dried them before putting them away. 

She tried to figure out what to say, but all she wanted to do was yell at him. Why was he living with Sokka? Didn’t he go to Harvard? Didn’t he have enough money to get his own place?

After everything was put away and her hands were clean, she opened her mouth to say something but closed it and walked back upstairs to her room. She slipped back into bed and cuddled her stuffed wolf while Kai’s sleeping form curled back around her. 

She closed her eyes and willed sleep to take her before she had to wake up for Christmas breakfast at 10 am in six hours. With Kai’s steady breathing and her emotions completely shot, she was finally able to fall asleep. 

Zuko sat in the kitchen, completely dumbfounded. She didn’t do anything with the news. He walked back to his room with his laptop in a daze. He was shocked she had apologized to him when he felt she never needed to and stunned when she didn’t argue or yell at him about their new living arrangement. 

In all honesty, she took the news a lot better than he did, and if cleaning was her way of avoiding conversations, they would have an immaculately clean loft. He put his glasses away and laid back in the large bed closing his eyes. 

The image of Katara in her red dress, curled hair, and his mother’s necklace filled his head as he slept soundly.

**___________________________________________________________________________________**

**December 25, 2019**

Kai buried his face in her pillow when he heard her alarm go off. He felt her reach for the phone to turn off the alarm before taking his arm back from her waist and stretching. He looked at the time and ran his hand over his face. 

Katara had fallen right back to sleep beside him. He brushed some of her hair from her face and relaxed back into her bed. He was starting to get very used to waking up beside her. For two years, he watched her fawn over and gush about Jet, but now they were done. He would give her some time, but he would make sure her next relationship was with him. He ran his fingers through her hair and stared out her window, and watched as the snow fell in large flakes. He felt her flip over and rest on his chest, softly snoring. He reached for his phone and texted Sokka that Katara was still sleeping. He added that he would wake her up in an hour. His arm came around her, rubbing her side as she sighed contently on his chest. 

Down in the kitchen, Sokka and Suki worked alongside his parents to get breakfast ready. Christmas day was always a very low maintenance affair in the Westbrook household. Just the family and their guests opening presents, spending meals together, watching movies together, or heading outside to get in some sledding. Due to the snowstorm, they would all be stuck inside for at least the day. 

Sokka was fussing over the text Kai had sent him when Zuko strolled into the kitchen with his nose in his own phone. “Morning,” He walked over to Kya and kissed her cheek before taking over at the stove. “I called that party planner you mentioned earlier and spoke to her about the New Year’s Eve party. I explained the theme, thank you, Suki, for writing it down, and she says she can get everything done for us. We just need Katara out of the house while she’s setting up.”

Kya smiled up at the young man who had become another son to her. “You don’t have to cook for my family Zuko.” She said to him and listened as he scoffed and continued working. She kissed his cheek before joining her husband at the table. Zuko blushed, but since Kya reminded him of his mother, he always felt the desire to help her in any way he could. 

“So a roaring twenties New Years’ party? Just make sure you clean up after yourselves. Hakoda and I will be back on the second, and we expect a clean house.” Suki shared that she would happily lead the clean-up team. Kya looked down at Hakoda, who nodded and held her around her hips. “How is she doing? We heard some of the conversation, but we didn’t want to pry, and she had all of you there.”

Sokka looked over to Suki and then to Zuko, who had tensed as he flipped pancakes. Apparently, it was his job to share what had happened. As he was about to speak, he heard giggling. Everyone turned to find Kai placing Katara back on the ground. 

“I’ll be okay, mama.” Katara walked over to her parents and settled in her father’s lap next to her mother. Hakoda hugged them both tightly and kissed Katara’s cheek. “I think I’m going to stay in my room today. Watch some Netflix and sleep. I didn’t get much sleep last night.” 

“As long as you open presents with us, you can do whatever you want sweetheart,” Kya told her, and Katara smiled more, nodding her head. She got up from her seat and walked over to the cabinet getting out a glass. 

Zuko looked over to her as she peeked over his shoulder at the pancakes. “Why are you burning the pancakes?” He looked back down and began plating the golden-brown pancakes. 

“They aren’t burnt. They’re cooked perfectly.” He argued, and she held her tongue as he handed her the serving plate full of pancakes. 

“I’ll do the cooking at the loft.” She whispered to him as she walked off with the serving plate. 

Zuko was left smirking down at the bacon as he plated it to take to the table. 

_Progress._

Breakfast was a relaxing affair. Katara was seated between Kai and Zuko, which led to some awkwardness. She was still getting used to not hating Zuko. It hadn’t even been a day, but it seemed they kept being thrust together. Thankfully he kept to himself for the most part and only made conversation with her parents, Sokka and Suki. Kai and Katara flipped through their Netflix accounts to find what to watch that day. 

After breakfast, Kya and Hakoda ushered everyone to the living room to open presents. Katara being the youngest was still the most excited. She sat between Sokka and her father while her mother passed out the presents. Katara watched as Kai and Zuko also received gifts and thanked her parents before they even opened them. 

“Alright, have it kids!” Hakoda beamed and sat back. Sokka and Kai tore open their presents like they did when they were kids. Suki and Katara saved the bows, tying them into each other's hair. 

While Zuko sat there looking entirely out of place. Hakoda watched Zuko as he watched as everyone else open their gifts. Kya walked over to Zuko and sat beside him. 

“Is everything alright sweetheart?” She asked him quietly as she brushed his hair out of his face. She smiled as Zuko closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. She had grown very close to his mother and understood his background more than her children did. 

“My Christmases were never like this,” Zuko whispered to her and turned to face her. Ursa had shared how violent and abusive her ex-husband was. She could only imagine what Christmas in the Azulon household looked like. “It’s great, just overwhelming.” He admitted, and she picked up one of the gifts from her and Hakoda and handed it to him. 

“Well, you’re family now, and we Westbrooks can be a little much. I hope you can get used to it.” Zuko gave her a genuine smile and opened his present, finding a leather braided bracelet that all of the men in their family wore. It had his initials carved into the inside portion and fit him perfectly. He reached one around Kya and pulled her for a hug. 

“Thank you.”

“Anything for my boy.” She told him and handed him another present before turning her attention to Kai and Sokka, who were freaking out over the handcrafted hunting knives Hakoda had made for them. 

Katara and Suki were both given new handmade tunics. Katara’s was off the shoulder with white faux fur trim along the shoulders and wrists, blue with two crescent moon symbols on the sides of her arms with multi-colored blue beads hanging from it, a full moon symbol at her chest with opal, silver, gold, and blue bead hanging from various leather strings. The tunic came down to the top of her thighs, with the trim being detailed with a handsewn wave pattern. 

Katara hugged the beautiful new tunic and gently folded it back into the gift box. “Mom, it's beautiful!”

“And it matches perfectly with the necklace Ursa had made for you. It’s almost as if we planned it.” Kya winked at her daughter before handing her another box. 

Hakoda and Kya watched as the young adults shared their gifts and discussed their plans for the rest of the day. It seemed like it would be a quiet Christmas for the family, and seeing Katara in such high spirits after the past couple of days was more than enough for the both of them. 

**___________________________________________________________________________________**

Katara had put away her presents from her parents and family. Her gifts consisted of sweaters, oversized slouchy cardigans, books, and perfume. Now she laid in bed braiding her hair into two french braids. She had been avoiding her phone all morning, and as she flipped opened her laptop, it rang again. Cautiously, she lifted the phone without touching the screen and let it ring until it went to voicemail. 

**[Jet 💕: Baby, please pick up. Let me explain. I was angry last night, but not with you. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. All I want to do is make things right with you. I will win you back Kat because you’re the only girl who has ever meant anything to me. I can’t live my life without you by my side. I understand moving out, and I helped Aang with your things, but instead of an engagement and living together, we can go back to dating, and I’ll earn your trust back. Please baby. Baby, give me one more chance.]**

She read through the text twice before listening to the voicemails. Several from the night before had been angry tirades with strings of curses and name calling. The early mornings’ voicemails sounded sincere and like he had been crying, which broke her heart. The most recent just sounded exhausted, like he could do nothing more with her inbox now full. 

She wanted to text him back and tell him to leave her alone, but that would give him hope that she was open to arguing, which meant speaking even if it wouldn’t be productive. She put her phone back down and turned it off. She opted to ignore any further communication from him and instead lose herself in some mindless entertainment. 

“So Marvel movie marathon or murder documentaries?” Kai asked as he brought in a bowl of popcorn and two water bottles. She patted the space beside her and set up her Disney plus account for them. 

“While murder documentaries would help with my planning process I think watching a marathon of America’s ass would make me happier.” Kai raised a brow but said nothing as he got settled beside her on the bed. She hit play and they sat quietly while the avenger's theme began to fill the room. 

Throughout the day Zuko, Sokka, and Suki had joined in. By dinner time there were three pizza boxes on her bedroom floor, Sokka’s tv set up on her dresser, and everyone squished onto her bed. She was sandwiched between Suki and Kai while Zuko and Sokka debated which Avenger was the best. She rested her head on Kai’s shoulder and felt him rest his head on top of hers. 

It wasn’t the usual Christmas but it was everything she needed. She thought after graduation that everything had fallen into place. She passed her certification exam, got her job at Northwestern, found the perfect little apartment, and thought for sure she had found the man she would marry one day. 

Even though the Jet drama was still lingering and she was still upset, just watching movies with her brother, Kai, and Suki made her hurt less. And Zuko’s apology and comfortable presence was starting to grow on her more. 

No, it wasn’t the perfect Christmas, but it was exactly what she needed and now she couldn’t wait for New Year’s Eve.


End file.
